


A Reluctant Invitation

by snarkwhal



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fire Emblem Fusion, Crossover, F/M, Fluff, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), mentioned Six of Crows characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:02:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25027390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkwhal/pseuds/snarkwhal
Summary: Spending a weekend trying to save a failing grade was never fun. Doing the same with your mortal enemy was worse. Yet, Alina had no other choice.A.K.A Pegasus knight Alina and dark mage Aleksander have tea together because I felt like writing a Fire Emblem Three Houses AU.
Relationships: Mal Oretsev & Alina Starkov, The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	A Reluctant Invitation

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is totally self indulgent because I know no other Grishaverse fans who are also into Fire Emblem. Not to mention, I'm planning a Three Houses fic set in the Grishaverse, and my brain just decided "Why don't we take the Grishaverse and put it over there?". Starting off with my number 1 trash ship, have this thing that happens when I smash two of my obsessions together.

Alina glanced down at the cooling tray before her. The smell of vanilla and brown sugar filled the dining hall where she sat alone, apart from some kitchen staff and a nun speaking quietly. Had it been any other day, a swarm of students and knights would have honed in on the table, asking her for a cookie or simply snatching a tart with a crumb riddled thanks.

She shifted her gaze back to the diagrams that filled her notebook, ink splotches dotted throughout the winding shapes and random scribbles that made up several offensive spells. She scrutinized every curve and corner of the ink, hoping that this attempt would finally reveal the information she needed. 

Weeks after she’d been pushed into taking classes on reason magic, and the only thing Alina could produce were a few sad sparks and a tiny puff of smoke. Hidden potential her ass. As soon as she could, she would drop the lessons. Lectures be damned, she was going to return the entirety of her time to flying.

She closed her notebook and dropped it onto the table with a resounding _thwack_. Alina could study reason another day. She had snacks to attend to.

**

Alina smiled as she stepped out of the dining hall, the sun warming her skin and a breeze drifting over the pond to greet her. She crinkled her nose as the stench of fish replaced the smell of the sweets she’d just packed into the basket swinging at her side.

She made her way down the steps and toward the greenhouse, humming to herself as she began looking for her friends. She knew that Genya and David would most likely be in the library or Black Eagle classroom. They’d be easy to cross off her list without her having to spend half the day wandering the monastery grounds. So, maybe she would find Tamar and Nadiya sitting amongst the greenery, or Tolya writing his own flowery words as she prolonged her journey to the more academic spaces of Gareg Mach.

She popped her head into the greenhouse. Only the gardener and a curly haired Golden Deer stood amongst the plants, the latter painting tulips as the former tended to some lilies. Alina spun around and her gaze flicked toward the path to the training grounds. They were close enough. She could stop by and see if Mal was there.

“Alina!”

As if she’d used a warp spell, Mal came jogging up to her from the dormitories.

“Just the guy I was looking for!”, she called, lifting the basket in greeting.

His hand reached for the lid, “Oh, what did you bake this time?”

Alina swung the basket behind her, “You’ll just have to wait for tea to find out.”

She began walking toward the gazebo. Hopefully, no nuns or other students had decided to claim it this afternoon. She turned back, preparing to yell at Mal to hurry so they could secure it, but he remained in his spot, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes darted from hers to the direction of the gates, a sheepish grin spreading across his face.

“You think you could save me a snack for later? I actually have a thing with some of the knights. We’re going into town if you wanna come…”

“Oh,” Alina said, her grin faltering as she remembered the few too many girls in the market who eyed Mal whenever they went to the town. The promise of a cookie probably wasn’t enough to keep him from eyeing them either.

Before he could respond, Alina righted herself and handed him a dessert from the basket, “You know what? Have this. It takes way too long to get down this stupid mountain. Wouldn’t want you to starve half way through.”

Mal looked at her apologetically, “You sure?”

This wasn’t the first time he’d blown her off for the knights, and she knew it wouldn’t be the last. But he had come to the Officer’s Academy to become one of them, and to get away from their middle of no where village. Who was she to stop him from seeing all the new things and people that Fodelan had to offer? 

She inclined her head toward the gates in a silent command to go and enjoy his weekend. Next time then. He ran off toward the entrance, calling back to her about bringing something later instead. She watched as his back disappeared around a corner, cursing to herself as he left.

Maybe she should’ve asked where the others were.

**

A wyvern screeched as it took off, flying past Alina as she arrived at the stables. She caught a glimpse of the rider’s raven hair as the familiar wyvern’s equally dark wings carried them out of the monastery. So much for asking Zoya to join her for tea.

Over the last 2 hours Alina had learned that Tolya and Tamar were in the cathedral for choir practice. Meanwhile, Nadia’s little brother was visiting, so she was showing him around. Nikolai was zooming between the library and offices, volunteering for crest experiments and relic research. Genya and David were having a date by the market place, and now, Zoya had taken off with Juris.

Huffing, Alina leaned against the stable walls. She could just wait for someone to have tea with, or she could just eat now. 

Her stomach grumbled. Maybe, one of the Golden Deer students wouldn’t mind sitting with her. She’d never talked much to them outside of mock battles and random encounters at the training grounds, but she liked them enough. Nina would be fun to talk to, but then again, that brooding boy from Faerghus was around her a lot.

Alina shook her head and entered the stables. She could talk to the Deer another day. For now, she knew that at least Ilya would never say no to her invitation.

**

“Ilya, don’t look at me like that. It’s not like I can get you a whole basket of apples without the staff finding out.”

Her pegasus blinked at her, ruffling his white feathers before turning his head away. Alina scoffed, her white hair swishing as she turned away with equal force.

She chomped on her cookie, grumbling between bits of chocolate chip, “Stubborn pegasus.”

“I doubt he got that from just anywhere.”

Alina’s blood began simmering at the icy voice. She peered around Ilya, her brown eyes locking onto grey ones. When she’d first seen him, his stony gaze trained on the front of the class, she couldn’t help but feel as if she’d just fallen into a frozen lake, going completely numb in the frigid water. Although, as he moved to stand beside her now, she concluded that his eyes were more akin to a silver sword’s edge, the glint of metal keeping her on her toes as a buzzing sensation danced across her skin. 

Where Nikolai shone brightly as the leader and “tactical genius” of their house, and the others danced in a show of Adrestian talent, _he_ was the ever-present shadow of the, admittedly, eccentric Eagles. Yet, he never seemed to stay silent for long, and Alina was always the one rising to meet him. 

“Aleksander,” she said, waving her cookie in mock salute, catching the barest hint of a smile gracing his lips.

Actually, it was more accurate to call it a smirk. Though she’d initially ignored the dark mage at the beginning of the year, she’d unfortunately become well acquainted with him during recent magic lessons. She couldn’t exactly cram herself into Genya and David’s desk, and collaborative work was always restricted to pairs. So, the unsolicited comments on her summoning skills and daily dose of snark it was. All while she could’ve been training for an entirely different class that she knew she wouldn’t fail miserably.

“Need help?”, 

“What?” she jumped, nearly dropping her cookie as she snapped back to attention.

Aleksander nodded toward the notebook lying in her lap, a simple thunder spell glaring up at her.

“Oh, no. I figured I would just look at this one more time and see if anything came up before I threw it off the mountain or something.”

Aleksander furrowed his eyebrows, the sword edge glinting again as he hissed, “Seriously?”

“Look, there’s already a ton of mages that come out of the Empire, and really talented ones at that. You should know,” she mumbled the last bit to herself before adding, “Besides, I’d rather get back to pegasus knight training.”

Aleksander crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. Taking the last bite of her cookie, Alina stood, meeting his sharp gaze with her own. She could practically hear metal clashing and see sparks flying out from the force. Soon a spark would catch and they’d get into a heated argument, much like one they’d had earlier in the week during an assignment on battalions. It had something to do with the best trajectory and most efficient use of fire from what she could remember, but in that moment, she wished she could’ve blasted that smug look off his face instead.

“What? Am I wrong?”

“Immensely.”

“Excuse me?” she huffed, “How? You’ve seen me in class!”

“He shook his head and pushed off from the wall, “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“Alright, want to enlighten me over tea or something?”

Aleksander’s eyes flicked to the basket at her feet. The smirk returned, but the lethal glint was replaced by a softer silver glow as he looked back at her. For a second, she thought of quiet nights spent agonizing over her notes alone, candlelight and her constant echoing thoughts the only things keeping her company. She wondered how much more sleep she could’ve gotten if she just asked for help. Maybe, she’d have tea and someone to sit with in the same silvery glow of the moon.

Alina shook her head at the thought. She would probably be kept up by more arguing. Besides, on occasion she and Mal would sit by the fishing pond after dinner, him telling her about sparring sessions or secret trips to the pub. She could rant about her reason lessons and attempt her magic, and he would just sit there, not poking or prodding her to push herself more than she already had. No need to be more exhausted by all the calculations and rules than she already was.

“Okay. Meet me in the gazebo in 10,” Aleksander called out as he turned and left.

The gazebo? Alina gawked at the spot he had been standing in, her words ringing in her head. _Want to enlighten me over tea or something?_ Had he just? Had _she_ just?

She chewed on her bottom lip, holding back an incredulous laugh. Ilya whined beside her and ruffled his feathers again.

Alina sighed, “Yeah I know right?”


End file.
